One Piece dream
by Animerox19
Summary: This is a dream I had where we visited my character's hometown and they decide to stay there for a couple of days. Little did they know that a whole bunch of drama between my character, Zoro and her sister were about to take place. I am really proud of this story and with the help of my friend's wonderful editing, it turned out to be awesome! XD
1. Home

While Zoro was doing some training and the others were doing their own thing, I decided to stand on the deck and have a nice quiet time to myself. I took in the salty sea air as the wind sprayed it in my face. There was nothing but blue sky and water surrounding us. In the distance I spotted a small dot, was it an island or a ship? When we got closer, I could tell it was definitely an island, though it wasn't any other island, it was the island I grew up on, the island where my mother was. Filled with excitement, I ran all over the going merry to find Luffy.

"Luffy, there's an island I spotted an island!" I screeched with joy when I found him and Marissa enjoying alone time in the dining room. I grabbed his wrist and dragged him to the very same spot I was standing.

"That's where I grew up! Do you mind if we stop by? I want to say hello to my mom," I requested with pleading eyes. It felt like ages since the last time I saw my mom. Suddenly, everyone came on deck to find out what was the commotion. Zoro came out last with a grumpy expression on his face, as if he was tired from training.

"Sure we can! I'd love to meet your mom," Luffy answered with excitement. I turned to Zoro to give him a smile but he gave me his ungrateful glare, I quickly turned away and turned back to my island. Luffy ordered Chopper to steer the ship towards the island's direction. Closer and closer it came, as if I could reach out and grab it. When we reached the docks, I quickly jumped off our ship and landed swiftly. I had a huge smile on my face as I observed the village that I haven't seen in years. It seemed to be busy, people rushing to stands buying fresh fish and produce they could get their hands on. I waited impatiently for the others. I turned on my heel and gave them a huge welcome.

"Here's my hometown, guys" I shouted with my hand raised in the air. Everyone was filled with wonder and excitement except for Zoro, who seemed to not care about any of this. A wonderful idea popped into my head and I walked towards Luffy.

"Mind if we stop by my house?" I whispered in his ear. He answered with that big goofy smile. On the way, I pointed out all the hot spots I would hang out when I was little and the best restaurants. People that I didn't see since I left said hi to me and as I passed, complimenting on how much I've grown. We were finally reaching the outskirts of the village. I remembered the little dirt path that lead to the house up to green hill. Too excited, I ran up the hill, not caring if the others were following my lead. When I reached the top, I found my house, that little cottage I grew up in. It looked the same except for a few green vines that wrapped around the cemented walls. The windows had brown, wooden shutters that looked brand new. The roof was made of shackles like the rest of the village's buildings were. I approached the welcoming house with caution. I looked back to see everyone looking at me like I was weird. I stepped onto the porch and knocked lightly on the door. I was expecting my mom but instead a little girl with shoulder length black hair was standing in her place. She was an exact replica of when I was younger. Was this the little baby who was in mom's arm before I left?

"Mommy, a strange girl is at our door!" she shouted.

"Luna, that's not a nice thing to say," My mom called from inside the house. My heart stopped at the sound of her voice, her voice that I haven't heard in years. Her voice sounded a little scratchy from old age but all the same since the last time I heard it. When she came to the door, there was a moment of silence between us. Besides a few wrinkles around her eyes and mouth, she looked like me but a little older. She was wearing a tan shirt and grey pants underneath an apron that was covered with flour; her black hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She opened the door wide and embraced me with open arms; I could feel tears staining my shirt.

"Jade, is that really you? Oh you look wonderful!" she cried through her sobs. I tried to pat her on her back but it felt a little awkward, especially in front of my friends.

"Mom, I'm here now. It's okay," I assured. With that, she let go and started to sniff. The young girl was still hiding behind her. I placed my hands on my knees and gave her a welcoming smile.

"Well, who is this little girl? Mom, was this that little baby you held in your arms when I left?" I asked. The two of us giggled.

"Yes, this is your little sister, Luna. She is nine years old," As mom explained, Sanji charged through everyone and picked her up.

"Oh, she is the cutest little thing I have ever seen. Jade, she looks just like you! Can I have her?" Sanji pleaded as he hugged her as tight as he could. Instead of screaming, Luna giggled and wrapped her little arms around Sanji's neck. Afraid, I grabbed her and placed her on my hip.

"Uh no, mom, this is Sanji, Luffy, Marissa, Chopper, Usopp and Zoro. I've been traveling with these pirates for the past couple of months. Luffy, who is our captain, and Marissa rescued me from being humiliated by this perverted guy when I was traveling by myself. I know what you told me about pirates but trust me, we're the good kind!" I explained.

"I didn't know there were such things as good pirates. Wait, Zoro? As in Roronoa Zoro?" My mom and Zoro's eyes met for an instant.

"Yea," was the first word he spoke since we got here.

"How's Lily? How come you're not with her anymore?" Mom asked disappointed.

"She wanted to go separate ways," He had a sad look on his face. I had no idea where this conversation was going. Mom had a big smile on her face as if she had big news.

"You know what? She came back; she's out training this very moment. You can say hi to her when she gets back," I had this fake smile on my face; I thought she was happy to see me but they are only excited about Lily. I thought she would want to know about how I was doing. Trying to change the subject, I wrapped my arm around mom's neck and whispered in her ear.

"Zoro and I are dating,"

"You and Zoro are dating?" she shouted with joy. Everyone chuckled except for Zoro and I.

"Pipe down mom; you don't need to shout it to the whole world," Mom offered all of us to come in and gave us a grand tour. When we got to my room, I refused to let anyone in. When the others left, I grabbed Zoro's hand.

"I only wanted you to see me room," I gave him an embarrassing smile and opened my door. The room was if it had recently been cleaned. Mom must've been keeping tidy in case I decided to come back. My room was the most boring place in existence. Everything was brown except for my bed covers which were a faded white. A lone window was on the wall sharing with my bed that looked out to the small dirt path we were just on. A small desk underneath the window was cleaned as if never used. A small dresser stood opposite wall of the desk. I lead Zoro to the middle of my room. Zoro observed the room as if to give it an inspection.

"Not, bad," He chuckled. I rolled my eyes and punched his arm.

"It's not much, but I wish it was a little livelier, it's kind of depressing," I was hoping he would agree with me and thought of nothing else.

"Okay, I got to ask, what was with your attitude a while ago? You acted as if you didn't care about any of this, just like you are kind of doing right now. I thought you would be interested in where the love of your life grew up?" I asked with my hands on my hips and leaning on one leg. Zoro placed one hand behind his head, trying to think of what to say.

"I'm so sorry; I am just tired from training. I promise I won't act like that for the next couple of days. You saw how I train, it can be tiresome," He grabbed my hands and placed them on his chest, not letting go. We looked into each other's eyes, not wanting this to end. He gave me an assuring kiss and began to wrestle me. There was a sudden knock on my door and I ran to it as fast as I could so that no one could look in my room. Luffy and my mother were standing in the doorway.

"Your mom and I were talking and we thought if it was alright that we stay for a couple of days. It would be nice to catch a break from the ocean and everything," Luffy asked.

"Why do you need my permission? Of course we should stay! I would love that!" I said with a big smile.

"Sanji offered to help cook dinner tonight," Mom had a smile on her face too.

"We should probably get our clothes from the ship if we are going to stay for a few days," I suggested. After the little conversation, Marissa and I walked back to the ship and gathered what everybody ordered. We gathered them in enormous bags and then strode back to the house. When we got back, everyone was gathered at the larger diner table. I had no idea that it was almost time for dinner; I was probably too engaged with packing. There was an empty seat next to Zoro for me and one next to Luffy for Marissa. Luna was in her room playing with Chopper until dinner was ready. A lovely smell of chicken teriyaki filled the room. My mom and Sanji's cooking was the best. While waiting for the food to appear on the table, Luffy cheered impatiently. The only thing you could hear was his voice over the sound of the food sizzling on the pan. Suddenly, the door opened and my older sister, Lily strode in. Her dark brown hair was also pulled back into a ponytail. Her bangs were drenched in sweat that she instantly wiped from her face as she stepped onto the kitchen floor. She was a wearing a plain t-shirt and shorts. She was wearing her training boots that were covered with dirt. In her hand was a wooden sword that was cut up from all the beating it went through. I turned to Zoro had a shocked look on his face. Lily turned to our direction and ran to Zoro with opened arms.

"Zoro? Is that really you? It's been ages! How has it been?" she asked as the two hugged each other tightly.

"It's been great, been traveling with pirates for the past couple of months," Zoro explained as they finally let go.

"Zoro, the pirate hunter traveling with pirates, that's so not like you," She chuckled.

"We rescued Zoro from being killed from the marines," I said cheerfully. Lily finally turned to me and the two of us shrieked.

"That's crazy; you're traveling with Zoro now? Zoro you're quite the ladies' man," Lily teased.

"Actually, the two of us are dating," I said with a smile on my face. Lily broke up the hug as if she was shocked.

"Really? That's great!" I could tell by the tone in her voice that she was not happy for me. She put on a fake smile and turned to everyone at the table.

"Who are your friends?" she asked, trying to hide her disappointment. Everyone introduced themselves to her. After that, dinner was finally ready. My mom called for Luna and she ran to Sanji's side immediately. Luffy shoved all the food into his mouth, talking with his mouth full as chunks of chicken flew across the table. Throughout the meal, all of us told my family about our adventures. I made sure we didn't miss a single one, even if it wasn't a pleasant memory. Lily didn't seem interested in anything we had to say which was a little bothersome, knowing that I haven't seen her in years. Near the end of the meal, Zoro offered me to sit on his lap and we shared a plate. We stared into each other's eyes, not caring if anyone else was watching. I did notice Lily looking over every once in a while, as if she wished it was her on Zoro's lap instead of me. After we all finished eating, we decided to sit and talk at the table. I decided to ask Lily some questions.

"So Lily, when did you get back?" I tried to sound interested.

"A year ago actually, I decided that I've done enough training and wanted to come home and help mom with things around the house," I nodded my head as if to say "interesting," Sanji and my mom started to do the dishes. After that, not realizing it was time for bed, mom showed everyone where they would sleep, except for Zoro. He held my hand as we went to my room. I got changed into my pajamas as Zoro waited outside the door. When it was time to get under the covers, I allowed Zoro to lay down first and I rested on his comfortable chest. Tired from all the excitement, I kissed Zoro goodnight and my eyes fell to a close and dreamed a peaceful dream. Not knowing what was about to come for the next few days.


	2. Strangers

The sun was shining brightly in my eyes as I rubbed the sleepy dirt from them. I turned to kiss zoro good morning but he wasn't there. I looked around the room and there was no sign of him. I slowly walked down the steps and walked to the kitchen as if I was a zombie rising from my grave. Everyone was at the table. One thing I noticed instantly was that Zoro was sitting next Lily, leaving an empty seat for me. I sat there and made a grunting noise.

"Morning sleepy head, I tried to wake you up but you refused. You're not used to sleeping on the ground are you?" Zoro asked teasing. I gave him a fake laugh. I heard the stove and turned to find Sanji cooking with my mom at his side, giving her helpful hints on how to cook eggs and sausage. The smell was wonderful and a great way to start the morning. The smell put a smile on my face instantly. I looked across the table to find Marissa and Luffy wrapping their arms around each other and talking as if no one else was in the room.

"Lily and I are going for a walk to the village later; would you want to come along?" Zoro offered. I gave him a silly smile.

"Oh no, you guys go on ahead, I don't want to intrude. Besides, I'm going to be with you Zoro for the next couple of days and for the rest of my life. Go on," I insisted. Zoro acted as if that was not the answer he wanted to hear. After cleaning up, Lily walked through the door as Zoro hesitated. He turned me with a worried look.

"You sure you don't want to go?" he asked again. I nodded and waved my hands as if I was shooing a fly. I sat there for a few seconds and went up to my room to gather my things to get a nice warm bath. While gathering my things, I looked outside my window and saw Zoro and Lily heading towards the village. Lily suddenly held onto Zoro's arm and Zoro didn't bother to push her off. My heart stopped instantly and I backed away from the window. I hurriedly finished grabbing my things and headed for the bathroom but was stopped by Luffy standing in my doorway.

"How come you didn't want to go for the walk? Are you alright?" Luffy asked with concern.

"Didn't you hear my reason a couple of minutes ago?" I snapped at him. I walked passed him and was about to walk through the bathroom door.

"I just thought because you wouldn't think twice on passing any time spent with Zoro," Luffy spoke as if he was terrified of me.

"I'm sorry Luffy; I am just tired from all the traveling. I just need to get a bath and I will feel better in a bit," I closed the bathroom door and waited until I heard Luffy's footsteps go down the stairs. As I got into the warm water, I thought about the future and how Zoro and my relationship were going to go in the next few days.

I never thought that the next couple days were going to be hell for me. Zoro and Lily were doing everything together, either training or doing chores around the house. I was left with hanging with Luna, Luffy, Marissa or the others as I watched the two of them laughing and having fun as if there was no care in the world, as if I didn't exist. I could tell that Luffy and Marissa were noticing Zoro's behavior and mine as well. It was hard to keep a smile on my face. When I knew I was alone in the house, I would sometimes sit on my bed and cry. Zoro stopped sleeping in my room because he would be out late at night, probably drinking beers with Lily and reliving their precious memories. The very thought was killing me. I knew that deep down there was still room for me in Zoro's heart, I can't think that he doesn't love me anymore but I just have this feeling that some of that love is slipping away from my fingers, where I can barely reach it. Sometimes in my dreams, I would see Zoro in the distance and I would try running towards him but he would keep getting further and further away from me. I would call his name but I can only hear my voice echoing in the distance. Fed up with everything, I decided to go out on the porch and looked out into the woods that surrounded us. I thought I was alone but then I turned around to find Luffy standing there with a worried look on his face.

"Are you okay Jade? You're scaring Marissa and me. We're worried about you," Luffy asked.

"I'm fine," I lied as I put on a fake smile to hide my sadness. But I knew that Luffy wouldn't fall for that.

"Jade, we know it's because of Zoro, why don't you talk to us about it? We're your friends. We saw every day that he hasn't been treating you right. Why don't you confront him about it?" Luffy asked as he was about to put a hand on my back.

"I said I'm fine!" I shouted in his face. Luffy didn't even flinch. Instead he gave me a look like I was joking. I clutched my stomach and started to cry.

"I'm afraid, Luffy," I sobbed.

"Afraid of what?" he asked.

"I'm afraid of what he's going to say. I'm afraid that he is going to leave me," I looked at him with my eyes filled with tears. I allowed him to hug me as tight as he could.

"Come on Jade, you can't think like that. What about all those times Zoro saved your life? He wouldn't do that just for any girl," He comforted me with kind words but all I could do was cry, let out all my anger and sadness that I held in for the past couple of days.

"I'll talk to him if you want to, he has to listen to me, I am the captain after all," Luffy bragged. I shook my head with a fake smile.

"I think it will make things worse," I looked up at him.

"Come on, how bad could it possibly be?" he asked with his shoulders shrugged. After that, Marissa found Luffy and saw that I was upset. She ran to us and wrapped her arms around us. Surrounding me with warm hugs and making me feel loved.

While getting ready for bed, I heard some yelling outside my door. I could hear Marissa and Luffy yelling at someone who had to be none other than Zoro.

"What the hell is your guy's problem? Can't I just hang with my friend who I haven't seen in years? Is that a crime?" I heard Zoro yell.

"No, it's not. It's just the fact that you're ignoring Jade. Don't you get that you're hurting her by not speaking to her? I bet she doesn't mind you hanging with her sister, all she is asking for you to talk to her," Marissa shouted back. I could tell that Luffy was letting Marissa do all the talking, knowing how much the two of them don't get along, this would be the perfect opportunity for her to yell at him without me getting mad. I wish I could see their faces; especially Zoro's at all the rage she is giving him.

"What's it to her? I'm going to be with her for the rest of my life; can't she deal with this for a couple of days?" Zoro shouted back.

"Are you really that clueless Zoro?" Luffy shouted this time. "As your captain, I demand you to talk to her. If not, we are going to have a serious problem," Luffy ordered. I never heard him so demanding before.

"Did she come to talk to you guys? How do you know all of this?" Zoro asked.

"Well obviously, since she is terrified to talk to you," Marissa snapped. There was a little moment of silence.

"I'm done with this. I didn't do anything to deserve this," I then heard a loud slap.

"I'm done with you Roronoa Zoro! If you don't start treating my best friend with respect, I'll beat you so hard you won't be able to feel a thing," Marissa threatened and with that, Zoro stomped down the stairs. I opened my door and saw Marissa and Luffy standing there. Marissa's hands were curved into fists. They quickly turned to look at me.

"I heard the whole conversation, thanks guys; I don't know what I did to deserve great friends like you," The two of them smiled and I closed the door, feeling satisfied for the rest of the night.


	3. Plan in Action

Unfortunately, the situation didn't get any better. Zoro refused to talk to me, even if we were in the same room. At dinner, he would just look at Lily and all they would do was talk. How come mom isn't doing anything to stop this? One night at dinner, I sat in between Luffy and Usopp and watched from across the table as Zoro and Lily flirted with each other. The same way the two of would do as if no one else was around.

"Mom, may I be excused?" I asked as I quickly turned to her. She was carrying plates in her hands that were enough for all of us.

"But honey, Sanji and I worked really hard on this," She pleaded. I stood so forcefully that it made the chair push back.

"I suddenly lost my appetite. Save me some left overs," I spoke through my teeth as I stomped through the door. Remembering from the years of my childhood, I stomped to this cliff that overlooked the ocean. This spot helped me get through all my problems when I was little. It mostly had to deal with Lily and I fighting, sometimes, mom would find me here and take me home if I stayed out late. The scenery was peaceful; I came out just in time to see the sun set. The ocean was completely orange, not a tint of blue was in sight. The leaves of the trees were turning brown, letting me know that evening was approaching. Through all that time, I would stare at the waves crashing into the wall, thinking about Zoro and all the wonderful memories before this hellhole even began, before Lily came home. I wanted to hit her; I wanted to punch her for ruining Zoro and my relationship that was so perfect. My stomach was yelling at me to eat something but I tried my hardest to ignore it's cries. I wasn't planning on coming back tonight. I was either going to stay here or go back to the ship. I didn't want to be with anybody right now, I just wanted to be alone with the Zoro in my mind, the Zoro I fell in love with. I suddenly heard disturbance in the grass and turned to see Zoro standing behind me. Holding a white take out box with chop sticks on top, He had an embarrassing smile on his face as if he didn't want to be here. I gave him my infamous glare and turned around to face the now black ocean. I heard him walk closer and stopped right behind me.

"I brought you some left over rice, in case you were hungry," I could tell that he was terrified of what I was going to do by the tone of his voice.

"I'm not hungry," I lied as my stomach made an obnoxious sound. I turned around and smiled as I took the box. I pulled the sticks apart and began to eat like Luffy; maybe I was hungry after all. I finished in twenty minutes tops.

"How come you left dinner? Your mom was worried and, I was too," He asked.

"Oh, now you want to talk to me? Do you honestly not know the answer to that question? You were flirting with Lily in front of me!" I snapped at him. He looked at me like I didn't know what I was talking about.

"Do you not see? Are you that blind? We have been ignoring each other completely Zoro. I wouldn't even give a shit about you hanging with Lily if you would just talk to me," I glared at him more than I ever did.

"Not again, I just had this conversation with Luffy and Marissa, well more with Marissa than Luffy but," Zoro began.

"Yea, I heard, you guys were standing right outside my door and I get it, we will be with each other for the rest of our lives but it's just,"

"If you get it, then why are you so jealous of us hanging together? I haven't seen her in years. I've been hanging with you every day for the past couple of months. Why are you so angry with me?" Zoro interrupted. He was trying to switch it around, I can tell.

"Zoro, I just said that I wouldn't have cared if you would've just acknowledged me. You acted as if I didn't exist. I thought your feelings for me were gone!" I shouted. There was a moment of silence between us. I turned around and walked towards a nearby tree.

"Do you still love me Zoro? Or are you falling for Lily now?" I asked without turning to face him. I was afraid, I was so very afraid of what was going to go down, I hated that we were fighting. As I waited, I was thinking about this whole thing, was I over exaggerating or was this right behavior? No it was definitely the right behavior; I wouldn't have cared if he would've just smiled at me or said hi every now and then, that's the whole reason why I was so upset. Zoro still didn't give me an answer, was he too shocked from what just came out of my lips?

"Do you?" I asked again. I could tell he was about to speak but something moved in the bushes. I was about to grab my sword but I realized that I left both of them back at the house. Zoro readied his sword until Lily came from behind the bushes. Zoro's body was no long tensed.

"Lily, can you give us a moment? We're having a discussion," Zoro asked. I was surprised that he didn't leave me behind to go with her.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your discussion," Her fingers formed quotation marks on the word discussion and marines surrounded us. The only way to escape was to jump off the cliff into the crashing waves below. Lily snapped her fingers and pointed me, marines followed the given order and held me tightly with my hands behind my back and placed a sword at my neck. Giving me no time to think about what was happening. I could see Zoro's body flinching, thinking twice on either to stay still or to attack. His final decision was to stay.

"Now that I have your attention, why don't we have a little discussion?" Lily's fingers did the motion again. Zoro and I stood there and listened.

"How about we make a deal Zoro? To save your girlfriend or ex-girlfriend, whichever one you prefer, why don't you let me kill you and your idiot captain Luffy in exchange for her life?" Lily waited patiently as Zoro thought.

"And if I refuse?" Zoro asked curiously. He had a determined look on his face as he stared at her. She snapped her fingers and the marines holding me captive pushed me to the ground forcefully and placed the sword up to my skin as if at any moment they could slice a vein open like slicing a piece of cake. Zoro's outstretched his hand.

"Okay, Okay. Please, don't hurt her," Zoro pleaded. I tried to get free from the marines but the sword prevented me from going any further.

"No Zoro, don't take the deal, don't take it. She could turn on us. Please, just run back to the house and protect my family. I beg of you!" I cried. Zoro was about to take off.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you Zoro, if you as so take one step, I'll order them to chop her head off like a lamb for slaughter and I'll make you watch," Lily threatened. I couldn't believe what I just heard, did she really just threatened to kill me? I whispered Zoro to run, that's all I wanted him to do. I didn't care what happened to me, just as long as no one else got hurt.

"Alright, I'll make the deal," Zoro outstretched his hand for Lily to grab to shake on it. When Lily took it, she pulled Zoro closer to talk into his ear.

"To make sure you'll take your part of the deal, I'll keep your girlfriend and I'll give her to you as soon as you two arrive. Come with Luffy and only Luffy. If you come with more friends, I'll kill everyone without a moment's hesitation, got it?" Lily threatened. Zoro nodded and turned to me. Lily snapped her fingers and walked away; the marines picked me up and dragged me away by the arms, letting my legs drag along the grass. I struggled to get free to run to Zoro but they were too strong. I called out Zoro's name constantly until they knocked me unconscious. When I woke up, I was shackled to a wall and was surrounded by three walls of iron bars. Two other cells that were completely empty except for barrels of hay were on either side. The room was dark, the only light that shown was the full moon making an eerie glow. The wind whispered through the halls giving me goose bumps on my arms. I realized that I was on a wooden bench that was attached to the wall. The chain attached to my iron bracelets were attached to the same wall. With all my might I tried to get free, the only thing you could hear were the sounds of me struggling and the rustling of the chains. I pulled until I couldn't pull no more. When I was finished I fell to my knees and stared at the floor. Letting myself dangle as far as the chains would allow.

"Aw, you look so pitiful little sister," Lily paused. Her footsteps echoed against the walls, taunting me. I looked up with helplessness.

"What's wrong with you Lily? How could you do this to your sister and her friends?" I cried with my voice drying up.

"Everything went exactly as planned!" she shouted with joy.

"Were you jealous of us? I noticed the first day you were watching us stare into each other's eyes,"

"Why would I be jealous of you? You see, now that you guys were in a heated moment, and no doubt that Zoro's heart is broken by what you said about his feelings. He will do absolutely anything just to keep you safe, no matter what I tell him I bet he'll do it! I wonder if he would kill your captain to save your life," Lily asked with so much excitement, the very thought was making me sick; my head fell down in disgust.

"Do you want to know what the funny part is? Even though he didn't talk to you, he sure as hell wouldn't shut up about you in front of me. I wanted to strangle him to shut him up. He even told me he would give up his own life for you; well guess what's happening now," Lily said to me with her head pressed against the bars. My head slowly rose and my weak eyes stared at her as if she was crazy.

"He did what?" I asked with my shaken voice.

"He talked about you nonstop," She replied with a devious grin. My heart stopped immediately. That's why he didn't know what I was talking about; I was going over the top with my behavior.

"I'm surprised that he doesn't think you're getting in the way of his dream. I remember when we used to hang out; he even told me that his dream was more important than our friendship," Lily waited for my answer. I was struggling to keep my head up.

"No, I already asked him and he said that I wasn't in the way, he said that I was actually helping him," I was thankfully able to get all the words out.

"That's bullshit. He was probably lying to you," Lily teased. I know he wasn't lying, I could tell in his eyes when he told me that he was telling the truth. Lily was just trying to get under my skin. Suddenly, a marine came and whispered in her ear.

"Speaking of Zoro, they're here. Do you want to see him? He's probably worried sick about you," Lily teased as she was handed the cell keys and released me. She dragged me by the arm down the hallway.

"How did you become involved with marines?" I asked with curiosity. Lily chuckled as we continued to walk.

"Simple, I just walked up to them and asked for a position, they gave me a background check and I worked my way up to the top. When I was named captain, I ordered them to build a base here so that I can take care of mom while running things," Lily explained.

"Is that what you have been doing instead of traveling around the world and why you left Zoro?" I asked already knowing the answer.

"You're smart little sister," She laughed. When we reached our destination, marine soldiers saluted her and opened two big doors. The room was a perfect circle, everything in it was white except for a few barrels of hay and some stacked wooden boxes probably filled with weapons and important documents. On the opposite side of us, Zoro and Luffy stood looking relieved that I was okay. Lily released me and I ran to my friends, Zoro just patted my back and I ran into Luffy's arm, giving him a great big hug. Zoro's head turned slightly.

"Luffy, protect her with your life if something happens to me you hear?" Zoro asked. Luffy nodded.

"Understood," Luffy said and held his arms out protectively. Zoro put one sword in his mouth and held the other two in his hands and formed a battle position. Lily got her two swords ready too and they charged at each other. Their swords created sparks as they clashed, Lily seemed to be winning. She would block all of Zoro's moves, even his most powerful ones. Soon the sword fight turned into a bloody fist fight. Lily would punch and even kick Zoro all over. She would punch until she sent his swords flying across the room. When it was time, Lily kicked him so hard that he stayed down for good. Lily stepped on Zoro's stomach until there was an agonizing scream escaping Zoro's lips. I clutched my chest at the terrifying sound.

"Are those bones I hear cracking?" Lily asked taunting. Pushing Luffy out of the way, I ran for Lily and dove for the leg that was on top of Zoro, I could actually hear his strong bones breaking underneath as if they were twigs being snapped in half. I wrapped my arms around Lily's leg and tried to push her off. Nothing seemed to work, she just kept pushing and pushing. Not giving Zoro a chance to breathe. Desperately I lifted her pants and bit into her flesh as hard as I could. The taste of her skin was disgusting but I had to hold on for Zoro's sake. At one point, I felt her skin rip underneath my teeth. Lily finally pushed me off her leg.

"That hurt you little bitch!" Lily shouted. I could see that I actually made her leg bleed and that I made a pretty big wound. I turned to Zoro to see that he was able to get up, but he was struggling because I bet that every move made it impossible. I then turned back to Lily who had this really pissed off look.

"I should just kill you off so you won't be in the way!" Lily shouted as she raised her sword over her head. I covered my face with my hands knowing that it won't protect me.


	4. Love and Agony

Everything was silent, I didn't know if I was alive or dead, if I was in heaven or on Earth. My eyes slowly opened and I gasped in shock as I saw Zoro standing in front of me. His arms dangled there as he stood perfectly still.

"Zoro?" I asked fearing what was going to happen next. I stood up and walked to his side. I gasped in horror as I saw a sword sticking into his stomach. Thankfully he wasn't stabbed in the heart or he would've for sure been dead. I turned to find Lily with a shocked expression on her face as if she didn't expect that to happen. I turned back to Zoro and looked at his face. His eyes were emotionless, as if he was dead.

"Zoro?" I asked again and there still was no answer. Lily pulled her sword of his stomach and picked him up by the collar, she stared into his eyes for a moment.

"You're an idiot!" she spoke through her teeth. After that, she threw him into the wall that was closest to her. Zoro's body made a loud thud and he fell to the ground like a rag doll. I started to run to him but Lily reached out her foot and made me trip and I landed on my face. My body twitched and I laid there for a moment. In the distance I could hear Luffy shrieking with anger towards Lily. I could hear him screaming Zoro's and my name. I turned to him with sadness in my eyes and gave him a nod as if to tell him I was alright. I ran to Zoro and helped him sit up. I leaned my ear against his lips and I hear him breathe slightly. He was alive for the moment. Zoro's eyes were half opened, about to close for good. I placed my hand on cold cheek.

"Oh Zoro, I wish I was in your place, I would give anything," I sobbed through my uncontrollable tears. Zoro started to cough and bits of blood spit out onto my cheek. Blood started to drip from the corner of his lips.

"I'm. Sorry," He spoke through heavy breathing; his left hand fell onto his chest.

"For what?" I asked with a little chuckle.

"For what I did to you, I didn't mean to hurt you so badly. You're so important to me," He spoke in between breaths and coughs. This time he was coughing out of control and it made me want to cry. I turned to his wound where blood was staining his green sash. His hand moved towards the wound to cover it. I tried to wrap his arm around my neck, to at least attempt something.

"Let's take you back to the house so Chopper can fix you up," I said as I struggled to get to my feet. Zoro winced in pain with every move I made. I could barely stand because of him being so heavy.

"Come on Zoro, you got to help me out here, I'm not going to lose you. Not now, not ever. Come on Zoro, come on!" I try to motivate him but nothing seemed to work and I was getting nowhere, I wasn't getting any help from him at all. I positioned Zoro in the exact same place after giving up. Zoro continued to breathe heavily.

"Come on Zoro don't give up, didn't Luffy tell us not to? You're supposed to be the greatest swordsman in the world. You said that death can't and won't stop you from pursuing your dream, Please Zoro, for me," I begged but nothing seemed to be working. Zoro's hand reached to my cheek and I grabbed it gently, I could feel his fingers twitching underneath mine.

"Remember when you asked me if I still loved you?" Zoro asked as if he didn't hear a word I said. His voice was starting to crack and I continued to cry knowing what he was going to say next.

"I do," He said with a smile. My tears flowed out of my eyes like a water fall; my eyes were starting to get sore. I couldn't emotionally handle this.

"I love you too my Zoro," I sobbed with a smile. I was starting to sniff now.

"I love you Jade, my sweetheart," Were the last words Zoro spoke before his eyes closed for good.

"Zoro darling, sweetheart?" I asked knowing that he wouldn't answer. I suddenly felt a hand grab my shoulder and Lily pulled me away from Zoro who sat there lifeless. I felt a pair of hands on my shoulders and saw Luffy kneeling beside me protectively. I could see he was upset just as much as I was. He turned to me with a worried look and I could tell that he already guessed that Zoro was gone. I turned away to let him know that he was right.

"Zoro?" Luffy asked as Lily grabbed Zoro by the neck and pressed him against the wall and Zoro's body hung there lifeless. I could hear blood dripping from the wound to the floor as if it was water dripping from a faucet to the sink. The eerie sound was echoing off the walls.

"How are you going to save your friends now Zoro?" Lily teased. I couldn't stand what I was seeing, how could Lily be so cruel? Lily turned to us and laughed deviously.

"Look at your crewmate Luffy, Isn't he pathetic?" Lily asked as her head fell back and she continued to laugh. Before Luffy could, I charged at Lily and tried to punch her. I thought I was going to hit her but instead she grabbed my left wrist and kicked me to the ground still holding on. She then twisted my arm until it snapped. I shrieked as the pain ran up my arm feeling as if I was paralyzed. Lily allowed my arm to fall and I winced as my arm crashed onto the cold cement floor.

"Jade, are you alright? Jade?" Luffy shrieked. I wanted to call to him but the pain was too much for me to handle and was preventing me from even speaking, not even a little sound.

"You're so amusing little sister. Just like your pathetic boyfriend over there," Lily laughed out of control.

"Jade!" Luffy shouted again. I couldn't even turn my head to look at him to let him know that I was in pain; all I could do was whimper. Luffy charged for Lily without hesitation and gave her one of his infamous punches. Luffy helped turn me over to my back and I screamed as he moved my arm to a better position. I lifted my good hand for Luffy to shake and I held onto it tightly.

"Kick her ass for me," I was barely able to get the words out but I'm sure Luffy was able to understand. He charged for her again and I struggled to sit up. I moved over to Zoro's body and leaned against the wall to catch my breath. While I did, I stared at Zoro and smiled as I imagined him sleeping there like there was no care in the world. I watched Luffy's arms stretch all over the place. When this was over, I got to think of a way to say thanks for helping us. Maybe I could buy a whole bunch of meat for him at the butcher shop in the village. Suddenly I saw Luffy crashing to the ground.

"Luffy," I shouted with my weak voice. Lily lifted Luffy's head by his hair and grabbed one of her swords that were nearby. Lily grabbed Luffy's hat and then slammed his face into the cement.

"What is this straw hat doing here?" Lily asked as she observed.

"Give it back!" Luffy and I shouted at the same time. With a devious smile, Lily threw it to the ground and smashed it with her foot. Luffy screamed with terror.

"Lily stop, leave him alone! That's his treasure!" I shouted as loud as I could. With all my might, I struggled to my feet as Lily continued to step on it. Without thinking, I ran to her and dove for the hat so that she won't ruin it anymore. I felt her foot stomp on my back, making me flinch as the pain went through my body.

"I said leave him alone!" I shouted looking up at her. Lily glanced at the two of us.

"You two are pathetic and you call yourselves pirates," Lily teased.

"Pirates that are going to kick your ass," Luffy threatened. Lily stepped over him and lifted Luffy's head by his hair as she grabbed one of her swords that were nearby and placed it upon his neck. I sat up and held onto his hat tightly.

"Lily, please stop,"

"Zoro and I made a deal Jade don't you remember? I kill these two for your life. What's it going to be, his life or yours?" Lily was making this unfair. "If you die this would all be for nothing; Zoro would've died for nothing," Luffy's arm stretched and grabbed his hat. I thought he was going to place on his head but instead plopped it onto mine. Luffy never gave me his hat before and this was a great honor.

"Jade, don't worry about me, run to the house and warn everyone, help them escape to the ship," Lily pushed the sword closer to his neck and lifted his head closer to her.

"Oh, I see you have a scar under your eye Luffy, with stitches. Should I help remove them?" Lily asked as she removed her sword from his neck and up to his eye. Luffy screamed at her to stop.

"I'll save you Luffy!" Marissa shouted as she came through the door. Her arms were outstretched over her as if she was about to take flight. Everyone stared at her as if she was crazy.

"What the hell?" Lily thought out loud.

"Marissa, I thought I told you to stay at the house," Luffy shouted, trying to forget what was about to happen to him. Forgetting about Marissa, Lily was about to dig out the stitches with the tip of the sword. Luffy didn't do anything except wait for the pain that was about to come.

"No Lily please, I'll do anything!" I begged. Lily turned to me with a pissed off look.

"Jade, what did I just say? You don't want Zoro to die in vain do you?" Lily asked, hoping to hear the right answer. In that moment, Luffy pushed her off of him and grabbed her arms, wrapping them behind her back. Luffy turned to me as he struggled to keep Lily in place. Lily got free and grabbed Luffy by the neck, her squeezing getting tighter and tighter as seconds tick by.

"Jade, get Marissa out of here, and keep my treasure safe for me, that's an order!" Luffy stuttered. I nodded, turned to Zoro with a sad look, and after I ran to Marissa's side; I grabbed her arm.

"Jade, what are you doing? We can't leave him behind," Marissa pleaded. I gave her a cold glare, telling her to listen to what I had to say. She said no more and followed me. In the long hallway leading to an unknown destination, my arm ached with pain, I couldn't move it. I held back the tears so I could be strong for Zoro, for Luffy and for Marissa. The tears were threatening to overflow. Giving up the battle, I let them stain my cheeks and fell to my knees. My eyes were puffy and the warm tears left a stinging feeling as they fell. Marissa waited for me to say something.

"Zoro's gone Marissa. He died protecting me," I shouted through my sobs as I held onto the edges of Luffy's hat. I told her everything Lily told me with her plans.

"That's awful," was all Marissa could say and I don't blame her. She doesn't know what it's like to lose someone dear to her.

"The last thing he said to me was that he loved me, if I was able to, there were so many things I needed to say. It feels like my soul was ripped from me when his eyes closed. I can't feel anything and my heart is empty Marissa! He was the love of my life; I was over reacting with this whole ordeal. Lily said that Zoro talked about me all the time. I feel so stupid," I sobbed. Marissa put her arms around my shoulders.

"It's not your fault Jade, you didn't know. If anything, it's Lily's fault for doing this to you guys. I'm sorry you lost him; I know how much you guys mean to each other. If something happened to Luffy, I don't know what I'd do; I'd probably be just like you right now," Marissa assured. I felt so bad for Marissa, knowing she has to deal with me being depressed for the rest of my life.

"I just, don't know what to do," I sobbed; with my good arm I placed my fingers up to my eyes to rub away my tears.

"You got to keep it together, show Zoro how strong you can be," Marissa encouraged. I suddenly heard footsteps and turned around. I quickly stood in front of Marissa protectively. Lily appeared before us with sweat on her brow and was panting. Anger struck through me as I realized that Luffy wasn't right behind her.

"Where's Luffy you bitch?" Marissa asked concerned. Lily's devious laugh echoed through the halls, making an eerie sound that gave us chills. Lily crept closer and I readied myself for an attack, wishing that I had at least one of my swords.

"Don't come any closer!" I threatened as I protected Marissa. My arms twitched as I formed a battle position. The fingers on my left arm struggled to form a furious fist as it screamed at me to stop moving.

"Are you really going to fight me with a broken arm?" Lily chuckled. I was distracted for a bit, thinking on how I was going to fight her.

"Marissa, you are to run to the house you hear me? Warn everyone!" I demanded with me barely looking at her. As she started to run, Lily grabbed my neck and slammed me extremely hard—as if she broken my spine—against the wall. She placed the sword that had Zoro's blood stained on the tip up against my neck.

"One more move and Jade gets it," Lily threatened. Lily's grip was so strong it was making it hard to breathe. I reached for the wall behind me as if I was trying to reach for something that wasn't there. My life was flashing before my eyes, images of my mom comforting me and my friends laughing together were going through my mind. The very first time Zoro and I ever met came into view. He was tied up to a cross and looked dirty, covered with mud and dried blood. Another image of Zoro and I cuddling for the first time came and I started to cry.

"Zoro!" I called through my faint sobs as Lily's grip got tighter. I turned to Marissa, who watched me helplessly.

"He's dead Jade, he can't hear you," Lily teased. Tears were pouring out of my eyes because I didn't want to accept the fact that he was gone, I just couldn't.

"Zoro, help me!" I shouted through my gasps for air. Lily's grip was the tightest she's ever gotten to, it was over, and I was going to die. My eyes closed and waited for what was to come.

"He can't hear you, you dumbass!" Lily shouted back.

"I can hear her loud and clear!" the sound of Zoro's voice forced me to open my eyes and I saw the love of my life standing behind my sister with a pissed off look. I tried to give him a welcoming smile. Lily allowed me to fall and I landed with a thud as I started to cough out of control.

"How is that possible? I should've killed you. This can't be happening," Lily gasped in horror.

"Your sister means everything to me; I would never leave her like this. Now back off before I cut off your hand," Zoro's deep voice was music to my ears. He walked over to me along with Marissa as Lily forced herself to back off to give me some air. Zoro placed his hand on my shoulder, he was real, and it wasn't my imagination. I could feel his hands, his warm, protecting hands.

"Are you alright?" Zoro asked with compassion. He was no longer breathing heavily; I could see him panting but just barely.

"I am now," I said with my eyes filled with love. All I wanted to do was hug him and never let go.

"How about you? I thought you were dead," I asked while placing a hand on his wound.

"I'm fine, hurts like hell but I've been through a lot worse," Zoro patted my head and turned to Lily with this devilish look like he was about to kill her for what she did.

"Zoro, where's Luffy? Is he alright?" Marissa asked with worry. Right on cue, Luffy came running down the halls. Marissa ran into his arms and I watched as the two embraced each other as if they haven't seen each other in decades. Their foreheads touched instantly and they stared into each other's eyes passionately.

"This isn't right; I should've killed both of you! That's not fair!" Lily shouted in denial. Zoro lifted me with my good arm and helped me balance on my feet.

"Luffy, take Jade and Marissa out of here, I'm the one this bitch wants," Zoro ordered. My heart stopped realizing that Zoro doesn't want anyone to help him.

"I'm staying," I demanded back.

"Your girlfriend is a stubborn one isn't she Zoro?" Lily teased. Annoyed, Zoro asked me to stay with Luffy and Marissa and never leave their side and that was the least I could do. I then handed Luffy back his hat. Zoro readied his three swords and waited for Lily to respond.

"Fight me; I know you want to damn it!" Zoro shouted with the sword in his mouth. Lily grabbed her swords and the two charged at each other. On and on they fought but no one was winning. My good hand curved into a fist of fury towards Lily who I no longer considered to be my sister. The battle seemed to go on for hours; no one seemed to know when it would end. Finally, Zoro had the strength to kick Lily down and sent her swords flying.

"Why, Lily?" Zoro asked as he aimed the sword in her face. Lily had this devious grin spread across her face. Was all she could was smile?

"Why damn it?" Zoro shouted again.

"Why, what?" Lily asked with a teasing tone.

"Why are you doing this? I thought we were friends?" Zoro asked with an expression I never saw on his face before. I couldn't tell if it was anger, sadness or agony. Lily began to laugh as she tried to rest on her hands. I wanted to go over there and punch her until she was unconscious but Luffy stopped me.

"Did you honestly think we were friends? I just pretended to be friends because I felt sorry for you, you pathetic idiot and if you want a better reason, well it's because of the bounty that's on your guy's heads. If I kill all four of you, I will be rich. The richest marines captain in the world!" Lily explained with joy. I turned to Zoro to see that he was crushed from what he just heard and I couldn't believe it myself.

"How could you pretend to be his friend? Zoro is the greatest friend in the world and you're doing all of this for money?" I shouted at her.

"So what if I am? After I kill the four of you, I'm going to kill all of your friends, including mom and Luna and please don't make me laugh. I wouldn't think twice on becoming friends with someone like Zoro. " Lily shouted back. Then it hit me like a thousand bricks.

"How can you be so cruel? To us, to our mom, your little sisters, what happened to you while I was gone?" I asked through my tears. I was fed up from all the crying but I couldn't take in what I heard, it was unbearable. Lily just laughed continuously. I turned to Zoro and noticed that he was about to raise his sword.

"This is goodbye Lily," Zoro said coldly as his sword pierced Lily's stomach, well enough that it could instantly kill her. I flinched as I watched her body fall to the floor. Zoro fell to his knees after he pulled the sword out of Lily and began to cry uncontrollably, he reached his hand up to his face to hide his embarrassment. I walked over to him and embraced him with my good arm.

"I don't want you to me like this," Zoro begged. I ignored his request and continued to embrace him. I could feel Marissa and Luffy doing the same. I bet that we all agreed on one thing; that this nightmare was finally over.


	5. Apology

After Zoro settled down, the four of us walked back to the house, leaving Lily's lifeless body in the middle of the floor. It was dark outside but we didn't know if it was still night time or early in the morning. It felt like time has stopped forever while we were in there. Struggling, I supported Zoro with Luffy's help. Marissa would catch my fall or held onto my bad arm. Even with help it was hard for me to carry Zoro. The four of us walked in silence, still stunned by what just went down. Zoro suddenly stopped us from going any further.

"Luffy, Marissa, can you guys walk on ahead? I want to talk to Jade alone," Zoro turned to Luffy desperately.

"Why would you want to do that? What if marines come after you?" Luffy asked. Marissa elbowed Luffy in the stomach and he suddenly realized what Zoro wanted to do. Marissa grabbed Luffy's hand and the two disappeared into the trees. Zoro walked over to a nearby tree and pressed himself against the trunk to catch his breath. He plopped down onto the grass and offered me to sit next to him and I gladly accepted the invitation. The grass was cool but felt nice against my heated skin. Zoro lifted his hand and began to stroke my hair with that smile I grew to love. I grabbed his other hand and stroked it gently; trying not to make any more bruises. The two of us stared at each other, not caring how many hours have passed. Our hands interlocked and twisted in and out of each other's fingers.

"I'm sorry," Zoro finally spoke. I shook my head, not accepting.

"For what?" I asked wondering why on Earth he needed to apologize.

"What do you mean for what? For what I did to you, I'm sorry for ignoring you for the past couple of days. I didn't realize how not talking to you was hurting you so badly," Zoro sounded sincere.

"Zoro, I'm the one who should apologize. I'm the one who overreacted with this whole ordeal. Lily told me that you talked about me nonstop. If I would've known that I wouldn't have been such a bitch," I apologized. Zoro looked at the grass.

"Yeah, that would've been useful information," Zoro chuckled. The first I heard him laugh in a long time.

"I should've sent Sanji or Marissa to look out for you, follow your every move," I joked. The two of us laughed together and I never felt so happy in my entire life. I told him about Lily's ruined plans until we finally decided to head back. Zoro tried as much as he could to help me support him. As we walked to the house, the two of us walked in silence.

"I love you," Zoro said faintly. I turned to him and smiled.

"I love you more," I bragged.

"No I love you more," Zoro tried to sound high and mighty. Throughout the entire walk the two of us tried to prove how much we loved each other. Zoro won by claiming how many times he's risked his life for me.

"What did I do to deserve you?" Zoro asked when we were a couple of steps away from the house.

"I don't know, you must have done something right," I teased as I knocked on the door with my foot. On the other side I heard footsteps and my mom opened the door with tears running down her eyes. Luffy and Usopp took Zoro from me and carried him over to the couch that was left open just for him. Luffy and Marissa sat on chairs that were pulled over from the table. Everyone was surrounding the couch with concern. I turned to Luffy and noticed that he was already bandaged up. Marissa stroked his arm for comfort.

"Sweetheart what happened to your arm?" my mom asked. I turned to my left arm and gasped in horror, I didn't realize that my arm was twisted in a disturbing angle.

"Oh uh, Lily snapped my arm in half while I was trying to fight her. She made me look pathetic and helpless and I couldn't do anything," I wanted to sound cool, I didn't want to complain and say how the pain was so unbearable I couldn't even move in front of everyone.

"Alright guys, give me some space so I can work on Zoro," Chopper ordered as he grabbed his supplies from his blue bag.

"I'm fine Chopper, it's just a scratch," Zoro denied. As he moved, he winced in pain and closed his eyes to try and ignore it.

"Sweetheart, that looks more than a scratch," I teased. Marissa rolled her eyes at the not-so-funny joke. For hours Chopper worked on Zoro's wound, cleaning out the blood while mom worked on my arm. When it was time for the stitches, Chopper ordered me to hold Zoro's hand to make it easier for him. But for me, it was almost worse than getting my arm broken. Zoro's fingers squeezed until I couldn't feel mine. It was as if all the blood was leaving my hand.

"Zoro, I can't feel my fingers," I shouted over his cries.

"You're not the one who's getting stitches!" Zoro shouted back. I finally shut up and waited until the pain was finally over. When it was time, everyone helped us to bed. Mom put Zoro in another guest bedroom and helped him into bed. I kissed him goodnight and was lead back to my room. My bed was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, it was welcoming, and it was home. Mom helped me get changed and placed my arm into a comfortable position. She kissed my forehead.

"Good night my dear," She whispered. I smiled at her and my eyes closed. I welcomed the darkness.


	6. Reunion

Because of the severe injuries, we were required to stay for a few more days. This time, Zoro and I were inseparable. We would do everything together from taking lovely walks to the village, from just staring into each other's eyes. There were times when Zoro wanted to do some training to get stronger but Chopper would scold him on how badly he was injured. When he lost a battle he would come to me for entertainment instead. When Marissa knew I was alone, she would pull me aside and ask how things were going. I would tell her everything in detail.

"Okay, you guys need to go on a date," Marissa said cheerfully one day to me. I gave her a look like she was nuts.

"Come on. You guys are starting over now aren't you? Dates are a great way for a couple to bond," Marissa grabbed my hands and held them tightly.

"It's decided. Tonight you two are going to have a lovely dinner. No questions asked," she was acting as if I didn't get a say in it at all.

"We must pick out a lovely dress for the date!" Marissa shouted. When she was done shouting, she grabbed the arm that was injured and pulled me along. Zoro walked by a couple minutes later with a scared expression on his face.

"Zoro help me!" I shouted as Marissa dragged me through the door. I was dragged to many stores; barely any of them had really nice dresses. Marissa would find a dress that was my size and placed it in my arms. Piles on upon piles they raised.

"Zoro isn't going to dress nice, why do I have to?" I asked annoyed as I started to try the dresses on.

"Because he's Zoro," was Marissa's response. At first none of the outfits seemed to be fitting to my liking. When I was about to give up, one in the pile caught my eye. It was my favorite color lavender purple with frills at the end. It was the perfect dress to twirl in. There was a dark purple strap with a big bow that tied in the back. I put over me and it was perfect, I loved it more than any dress I ever loved before. After I tried it on, I allowed Marissa to see it and she loved how I looked wearing it. After a successful shopping trip, it was only a couple of hours before our unnecessary date was about to begin. During those hours, Marissa helped me with my hair and put make up all over my face. I thought I looked like a clown but Marissa was satisfied and that's all that mattered at this point. We decided to leave my hair down since none of the other styles satisfied the both of us. The moment was finally here; time to reveal the new me. I crept down the stairs. Stalling as much time as I possibly could. I reached the bottom of the stairs and I waited for their reactions to my hideous self. I expected them to be disgusted along with me.

"Oh Jade you look so adorable in that dress," Sanji cried. That was not what I wanted, or expected to hear. I turned to Zoro to see what he thought. He started to blush as much as I was, though no one could see it under my makeup.

"You do look beautiful," Zoro assured with a nod and that compliment helped. After all the embracement, Marissa shoved Zoro and I out the door and slammed it behind us. The two of us looked at each other awkwardly and off we went. I held his hand tightly as we continued on the dirt path.

"I'm serious, you look beautiful tonight," Zoro said with a loving smile. My face turned completely red. When we got to the village that was surprisingly busy for this time of the evening, we found a lovely restaurant and luckily got a table. I ordered some fresh sea food and Zoro ordered steak. While we waited, I thought of some ideas for conversation starters.

"How are your injuries? Are they healing well?" I asked with concerned.

"Yeah, they are doing a lot better, healing faster than I expected. How's your arm?" Zoro seemed confident.

"It's better, I'm able to move my wrist again. I'm just thankful that I don't have to wear that hideous cast anymore." I chuckled in response.

"Again, sorry for being such a bitch these past few days, I didn't realize that I was over reacting."

"You don't need to apologize," Zoro assured.

"I swear I thought I lost you. I don't know what I would've done." I said looking down.

"Yeah, sorry about that, I thought that if you didn't know I was faking, Lily wouldn't have fallen for it. I'm so sorry for putting you through that," Zoro apologized.

"What you don't think I wouldn't have been a good actress?" I asked with my hands on my hips. Zoro looked away embarrassed and started to laugh.

"So who came up with this date thing anyway?" Zoro asked to change the subject. I sighed in anger.

"Marissa. She forced me to buy this dress; you didn't dress up so I don't understand why I had to." I said looking off to the side, I didn't want to keep looking away but it was just hard to after everything that happened. Until our food arrived, I gathered up my courage and the two of us stared at each other.

"Okay, pop quiz; how much do you love me?" Zoro asked pointing at me with his fork while we ate our delicious meal. My utensils stopped clanking together and I gave him a face like he was joking.

"Are you serious right now Zoro?" I asked in a whisper. Zoro nodded with determination. I gave it a moment to think to torture him.

"Let me see, I love you more than Luffy loves meat!" I almost shouted so that the entire restaurant could hear. Zoro made a face like he was satisfied.

"Luffy sure does love his meat, I'll take it." Zoro said with a smile. The two of us continued our meal for a bit.

"How much do you love me?" I asked curiously. Zoro gave me the same look I gave him.

"Really? I almost died saving your life. How much proof do you really need?" Zoro begged. I gave it a second thought.

"True, but it's not enough. Come on, you made me do it, now it's your turn!" I teased.

"I love you more than taking naps?" he answered in the form of a question. I gave him an expression that told him that wasn't enough.

"More than Luffy loves his hat?" he asked again.

"Keep going," I encouraged. Zoro thought for a moment.

"More than anything in the world," Zoro said with confidence this time. I gave him a satisfied smile.

"There you go, I was waiting to hear you say that with confidence," I pumped my fist in the air and the two of us laughed.

"I got to know, what made you so infatuated by me when we first met?" Zoro asked near the end of our meal. I shrugged our shoulders.

"I don't know. I just thought you were so cool and I had this determination to make you mine. I honestly can't describe how I felt," I replied. I looked at my almost emptied plate.

"You know, if Marissa was here right now, she would be throwing up," the two of us chuckled and finally paid for our meal. On the way home, I held onto Zoro's arm as tight as I could. None of us said a word to each other because we were too full from dinner. It was starting to get dark out, the lanterns were coming on and the streets were starting to get empty. The road to my house was dimly lit by the lanterns from the village. When we got home, I got changed out of the dress and Marissa and I sat in my room and waited while Zoro was taking care of things before going to bed. I was telling her everything that happened.

"You're right. I would throw up," she sniggered. We talked about everything that happened for past couple of days. It wasn't pleasant reliving the nightmare.

"I think everything is fine between us now, I hope so at least. The date was romantic, we kept saying how much we love each other and everything," I smiled at the thought.

"You two are obsessed with each other. I love Luffy more than anything but I'm not that crazy," Marissa stated. I placed my hands on my hips.

"Come on, what if you guys were in this situation?"

"Okay, one; Luffy would never do that to me. I don't think he has any other girlfriends that I'm aware of and two; we try not to show our affection in front of others like you do. We don't make out every two minutes," the two of us laughed uncontrollably.

"Would you do anything for Luffy? Like if he was in danger?" I asked curiously.

"Absolutely! I would kill anyone who would hurt my man," Marissa punched the air.

"You do like Zoro do you?" I asked to change the subject.

"Of course I do, he is like a big brother to me. I may pick on him but that's just a tough way of showing my love," she chuckled.

The next day, everyone was called to order in the kitchen for a meeting. There was a moment of silence before we started.

"I think it was about time we were on our way," Luffy announced. My body was tense at the thought of leaving my mother and my younger sister after everything that's happened.

"For once our captain is right, I mean his, Zoro's and Jade's wounds are completely healed. There isn't any reason to stay here any longer," Sanji pointed out. I nodded at the statement. My arm was finally healed, there was still some numbness but that didn't really bother me.

"But why can't she stay?" Luna asked pointing to me. There was a moment of silence when everyone turned to me. My face turned completely red from the embarrassment.

"It's a pirate's duty to be loyal to her crewmate's sweetheart. I don't want her to leave either but she must," mom explained.

"She's my sister!" Luna shouted.

"She's my best friend!" Luffy shouted back as he stood up.

"Will both of you shut the hell up?" I shouted over their hating cries. I felt Zoro placed a hand on my shoulder; I dared not to look at him. I stood up and stomped out of the house and into the woods, I stomped all the way back to the hill. I sat over the edge and cried my eyes out. I debated on if I should stay or go. I thought of all the adventures that I would be missing if I stayed. I would love to take care of my little sister and see her grow up and help mom with chores around the house but because of all the good times I had with Luffy and the others, it's making it difficult for me. Suddenly, bushes rustled and I turned to see Zoro standing there with a worried look. Tears were threatening to come, as I turned to him with opened arms.

"I don't know what to do Zoro, why did she have to go off and say that? Then Luffy had to go and say I was his best friend—not that I'm complaining about that—this is torture," I sobbed into his chest. Zoro said nothing but held me tightly, letting me cry out all my anger and stress that gathered up in the past few minutes.

"I'd love to stay here but I don't want to leave you or Luffy or the others. After all you guys did for me and all the adventures we had together; I can't just leave you guys. You're my friends my," I almost couldn't say the word because of it being to unbearable.

"Family," I whispered as I looked up at Zoro. He kissed my forehead in response. I dug my head into his chest.

"What do you think I should do Zoro?" I asked still buried into his chest. He pushed me away so he could look at me.

"I would want you to come with us of course. If you stayed, my heart would be broken; half of it would stay with you," he said as he stroked my cheek. My heart stopped completely.

"Okay, you convinced me to leave," I chuckled. After a minute, I was finally able to calm down and the two of held hands as we walked back to my house. When we got there, all except for Luffy and my mom were gone. Luffy came up to me and hugged me like he never hugged me before and I hugged him back as tight as I could. He placed his hands on my shoulders.

"It's not in my place to force you to come with us, I mean I would give anything to have you come along but it's up to you, not me," Luffy assured. I patted his head and smiled.

"Come on you goofball, of course I'm leaving with you guys. Imagine all the adventures I would be missing," I said with an assuring smile. Luffy replied with another big hug. Behind him I could see my mom looking sad. After the hug, I went up to her with a worried look.

"Mom, I would love nothing more than to be here with you and Luna, but they are my friends. Luffy saved my life so many times I lost count, I owe him my loyalty," I explained.

"You're still my mom and I love you more than anything," the two of us hugged for a long time.

"Would Luna be able to come with you?" Mom asked. I turned to Luffy to see what he would think.

"I would love to have her but she is still too young. We are wanted criminals and if she joined, she would be one too. Her life would be in danger all the time and we can't guarantee her safety," Luffy explained with confidence.

"I'm sorry mom, it's the truth. We have the navy coming after us all the time, we make enemies everywhere we go, it just wouldn't be safe," I assured. Mom turned to Zoro and walked over to him.

"I never had the chance to thank you for looking after my little girl. I can tell that you love her, please, make sure she's safe," my mom said following with a smile. Zoro nodded and smiled back. The next morning, everyone was gathering their supplies. I took my time in gathering supplies, I made up my mind on going but it was still hard for me to leave my mom and sister behind. After I gathered my things, I noticed when I got downstairs everyone was there. My face turned red, realizing that I made everyone wait.

"On the way to the ship, we'll need to stock up on food. Who knows when we'll be able to make port next," Sanji announced. On the way to the ship, I held onto Zoro's hand tightly. Our swords clamped on the ground. Mom and Luna were in front, leading through the market place that smelled like fresh meat and fish that had been recently caught this morning. I was going to miss this place, who knows when I will see it again. Sanji would stop at almost every stand, stocking up for months on food that we will surely eat up. Marissa and Luffy were holding hands as well, swinging their arms back and forth as if there was no care in the world. When we reached the going merry, my heart stopped realizing that it was time to leave. One by one everyone was climbing on board. Marissa held onto Luffy and he pulled them up. Luffy came back down to wait for Zoro and I. I placed my backpack down and gave my mom a hug. Luna jumped up impatiently begging for my attention. After giving mom a long hug, I finally came to Luna who had her hands on her hips. I picked her up and placed her on her hip.

"Hey, when you're old enough you can leave like I did and come find us," I chuckled. Luna had a serious look on her face, reminding me that this was no laughing matter. I gave her a big kiss and another hug. I smiled at my mother and gave her another hug as well.

"Don't worry mom, I'll be alright. You'll probably hear news about us sometime, somewhere. I'll be fine," I assured. She nodded and started to cry; I did too. Zoro held my shoulders and I felt Luffy hug me too. When it was time, Zoro and I held onto Luffy and he pulled us on deck. I waved to my mother and sister as we pulled away from the docks until my arm couldn't take it anymore. As we sailed away, I placed my elbows onto the railing and rested my head on my palms. I took a long sigh and was deep in my thoughts as images from the past few days went through my mind. Zoro touched my shoulder and I turned to him with smile.

"What are you thinking about sweetheart?" Zoro asked followed by a light chuckle.

"About Lily," I answered with a disappointed sigh.

"Why are you thinking about her?" he asked curiously.

"I don't know, just thinking about all the things she's done to us and why she would do such a thing," I shrugged my shoulders and turned around, leaning on the railing as if I was trying to act cool.

"Don't worry about it, she's gone now. There's absolutely nothing to worry about," Zoro assured.

"I hope you're right," I replied as I watched my island turn into nothing but a black speck in the distance.


End file.
